Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has been gifted the gift of his own likeness some 17 times since becoming prime minister, including once by the president of China.
The portraits, along with a myriad of vases and bottles of Star Wars wine and paraphernalia, are among more than 400 gifts — valued at more than $200 each — that Trudeau declared to the federal commissioner for the ethics since the end of 2015.
An analysis of the lists shows that more than 140 gifts were given to his wife, Sophie, or their children, while 110 came from heads of state or governments of other countries.
Of these national leaders, the King of Jordan was the most generous, presenting 10 gifts to Trudeau, ranging from a handmade leather saddle to “sculptural plant containers” to jars of honey.
The Prime Minister had to confiscate 20 items, including three paintings of himself, as they were worth more than $1,000, but he reimbursed part of the cost of two gifts – a Chinese electric bicycle and an Inuit print – so that he can keep them.
A former chief of protocol says giving gifts is a normal, highly orchestrated bureaucratic affair and that Canadian prime ministers would rather not receive gifts right away because of the potential for negative attention.
This report from The Canadian Press was first published on August 1, 2022.
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